Leave your bandage on for 2-4 hours following the procedure to allow weeping of plasma to stop. When you remove the bandage, wash the tattoo thoroughly and gently with your fingertips (do not use a washcloth or scrubbie) and a mild soap (we recommend Dr. Bronner's liquid castile soaps) and rinse well until it is no longer slimy. Pat dry and then let the skin air dry completely for approximately 10 minutes before applying a very thin layer of emollient-based ointment (NO VASELINE--we recommend Tattoo Goo, H2Ocean Foam and Dr. Bronner's Tattoo Balms). Apply the ointment so that it is just shinier than your natural skin sheen, not glossy.Do not rebandage.Repeat every two hours for the first 24 hours, then 3-4 times daily for the next 7-10 days. Replace ointment with an unscented lotion (we recommend Dr. Bronners, Nivea, Lubriderm, Aquaphor and Eucerin) after the first week of healing is complete. Avoid exposure to sunlight, UV rays and tanning beds, as well as swimming in fresh or salt water and chlorinated pools for at least two weeks.DO NOT scrub the tattoo or scab or let the tattoo soak in the shower or tub.Do not use astringents or products such as alcohol, peroxide or Sea Breeze on the tattoo.Do not pull off or pick at the scab.Once your tattoo has healed, be sure and protect it from the sun and tanning bed with SPF 40.Failure to abide by these instructions can lead to infection, shower scab, plasma scab, loss of pigment and fading.

At Bodily Charm, we carry the tattoo aftercare products that we recommend. Our favorite aftercare products include Dr. Bronner's Magic Soaps and Balms, Tattoo Goo products (Color Guard, Tattoo salve), and H2Ocean products. These are the products that our artists use themselves and we would never recommend a product that we haven't tried.